Objective Methods to Interpret Partial-Discharge Data
on Rotating-Machine Stator Windings
Greg C. Stone, Fellow, IEEE, and Vicki Warren, Member, IEEE
From IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications Vol. 42, No. 1, January/February 2006
Pages (195–200)
Abstract—Partial-discharge (PD) measurements have long been
used to assess the condition of the electrical insulation in motors
and generators rated 3.3 kV and above. There are many ways to
measure PDs during normal service of the motor or generator.
Unfortunately most of the measurement methods mix stator
PD with electrical-interference signals from poor electrical
connections, power tool operation, corona from transmission
lines, etc. The result can be false indications of stator-winding
problems, reducing confidence in PD measurements. Another
issue with online PD testing is interpretation, i.e., identifying
which machines are in good condition and which machines
need maintenance. In the past decade, a database of over 60000
test results has been assembled. In hundreds of machines, the
condition of the insulation determined by a visual inspection
has been compared to the PD levels. The result is a table
that provides an objective means of determining the stator-
insulation condition relative to other similar machines. An
analysis of the results also shows that there are significant
differences in PD activity between manufacturers. This paper
gives a review of the methods that can reduce the risk of false
indications, thus making the measurement less subjective.
Index Terms—Electrical insulation, partial discharge (PD),
stator winding.
I. INTRODUCTION
PARTIAL discharges (PDs), sometimes also known as corona, are
small electrical sparks that occur in deteriorated or poorly made
stator-winding insulation systems in motors and generators rated
3.3 kV and above. Over the past 15 years, online PD monitoring
has become the most widely applied method to determine the
condition of the electrical insulation in such machines [l]-[3]. PD
testing detects most (but not all) of the common manufacturing and
deterioration problems in form-wound stator windings, including
the following:
1) poor impregnation with epoxy;
2) poorly made semiconductive coatings;
3) insufficient spacing between coils in the endwinding area;
4) loose coils in the slot;
5) overheating (long-term thermal deterioration);
6) winding contamination by moisture, oil, dirt, etc.;
7) load cycling problems;
8) poor electrical connections (although this is not strictly an
insulation problem).
Paper PTD-05-12, presented at the 2005 IEEE Pulp and Paper Industry Conference, Jacksonville, FL
Approved for publication in the
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
by the Pulp and Paper Industry Committee of
the IEEE Industry Applications Society. Manuscript submitted
for review June 23. 2005 and released for publication September
12,2005.
The authors are with Iris Power Engineering Inc., Toronto, ON
M9C 1B2,
Canada (e-mail: gstone@irispower.com).
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TIA.2005.861273
In general, for machines rated 3.3 kV and above, over 50 years
of experience with PD testing in motors and generators has shown
that months, if not years, of warning is often given before a winding
failure is likely to happen [I], [3].
There are many methods available to detect the PD activity in
operating motors and generators [1]. The electrical techniques rely
on monitoring the current or voltage pulse that is created whenever
a partial discharge occurs. The earliest methods measured the PD
pulse currents by means of a high-frequency current transformer
at the neutral point [2]. Others have used the leads from RTD
temperature sensors to serve as an antenna [4], [5], although
organizations such as Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and
International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE) have
expressed reservations about the use of RTDs since the method
is controversial and interpretation is extremely subjective [6],[7].
Today, the majority of machines that are routinely PD tested online
employ high-voltage capacitors as PD sensors [1].
A key challenge with PD measurements is encountered when
the motor or generator is monitored during normal operation.
Since the machine is connected to the power system, an electrical
interference (noise) is often present. Noise sources include corona
from the power system, slip ring/commutator sparking, sparking
from poor electrical connections, arc welder operation, and/or
power tool operation. This electrical noise masks the PD pulses
and may cause an inexperienced technician to conclude that a
stator winding has high levels of PD, when it is actually the noise.
The consequence is that a good winding is incorrectly assessed as
being defective, meaning that a false alarm is given suggesting that
the winding is bad, when it is not.
Such false alarms reduce the credibility of online PD tests; and
even today, many feel that online PD testing is a “black art” best
left to specialists. This paper briefly describes objective methods
that separate a PD from the noise in motors and high-speed
generators that are often associated with pulp and paper mills and
petrochemical plants.
A large number of PD results using the same test method (and
collected in an manner that the noise is suppressed) have been
accumulated in a single database. Towards the end of 2003, over
60 000 test results have been accumulated; and simple statistical
analysis has been applied to the database in order to extract
information to better interpret PD results. The main purpose of this
analysis is to help test users to objectively determine which motors
and generators have deteriorating stator insulation, allowing them
to plan appropriate maintenance. However, some interesting results
have emerged on the differences in PD activity as a function of
winding age, insulation type, and machine manufacturer. This
paper also presents these findings.
II. NOISE-SEPARATION METHODS
To enable automated statistical analysis of large quantities of PD
data (for example, from 60 000 measurements), one first needs the
data to be purely stator PD and not a mixture of a PD and a noise.
If the PD and the noise are mixed together, then a human expert
is needed to review each test result and subjectively extract the
key PD data (for example, the peak PD magnitude—Qm) from the
combined noise and PD signals. This clearly would be very time
consuming and subject to disagreements among experts.
To date, PD detectors based on RTDs or radio frequency
current transducers (RFCTs) seem to require review by an expert
to separate stator PD from all other signals [1]. Thus, the use of
automated statistical procedures to analyze vast quantities of PD
data from such sensors is not practical. As a result, there are no
simple criteria to help motor and generator owners assess if a PD
level is high or not when RTDs or RFCTs are used as PD sensors.
Even with capacitive PD sensors, noise is sometimes mixed with
PD, preventing automated analysis.
Over 20 years ago, the North American utility industry sponsored
research to develop an objective online PD test for machines
that could be performed and interpreted by plant electrical staff
with a few days of training [1]. The PD test that was developed
emphasized separating PD pulses from electrical-noise pulses. In
fact, the techniques developed during this research depend on the
following four separate noise-separation methods—since not one
method was found to be completely effective on its own:
1) frequency domain filtering;
2) surge-impedance mismatch;
3) pulse-shape analysis:
4) time of noise and PD pulse arrival from a pair of sensors.
Practically, to reduce the risk of false indications to less
than a few percent, at least three of the four methods are
implemented simultaneously. In high noise environments, all
four are implemented.
A. Filtering
As part of the utility research project, surveys were performed of
the noise environment in typical plants. It was found that the noise
tended to produce the greatest signals at frequencies below 10 MHz
or so. In contrast, when measured close to the stator winding, PD
produces frequency components up to several hundred megahertz
[8]. Thus, the highest PD signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and thus the
lowest risk of false indications occurs if the PD is measured above
about 40 MHz. A simple single-pole high-pass filter can be realized
with a 50-Ω input oscilloscope or a measurement instrument with
a high voltage capacitance of about 80 pf. The capacitor is the
Fig. 1. Attenuation and dispersion of a pulse as it travels along a cross-linked
polyethylene power cable of different lengths.
same capacitor used for the PD sensor.
B. Surge-Impedance Mismatch
In many cases, a motor or a generator is fed by air-insulated bus
or has internal circuit ring buses. In general, such buses have a
characteristic (or surge) impedance of about 100 Ω.
In contrast, the surge impedance of a coil in a stator slot is much
lower—typically on the order of 30 Ohm. A noise pulse from the
power system that travels along the air-insulated bus sees a source
impedance of 100 Ohm and then encounters the coil impedance of
30 Ohm. Using the transmission-line theory, the first peak of a fast-
rise-time noise pulse is attenuated to about 25% of the original
magnitude. A PD pulse originating in the winding has a source
impedance of 30 Ohm, and then encounters the 100-Ohm impedance
of the air-insulated bus. From the transmission-line theory, a reflection
and a superposition occur, which results in the first peak of the
PD pulse current being amplified by about 50%. The high-speed
traveling wave properties of the PD and noise pulses amplify the
PD and suppress the external noise, enabling another method of
increasing the SNR. To use this method, the noise and PD pulses
must be detected with their original rise times of < 5 ns, and the PD
sensor must be within 1 m or so of the coils.
C. Pulse-Shape Analysis
A third method of separating a PD from a noise depends on the
time-domain characteristics of the PD and noise pulses. Short
rise-time current pulses, no matter what their source, are modified
as they travel along a power cable. There are two types of
modification: attenuation and dispersion, where the latter refers
to the frequency dependent attenuation of the pulse. The longer
the distance the pulse must travel, the greater is the attenuation
and dispersion encountered. Fig. 1 shows the effect of these two
properties as a voltage pulse propagates along a power cable. As
the pulse propagates farther, the magnitude of the pulse decreases
due to attenuation, and the rise time of the pulse lengthens due to
dispersion.
If a PD sensor is installed very close to the stator winding (say
less than 1 m), then any PD pulses from the stator winding will
undergo negligible attenuation and dispersion as the PD pulse
travels to the sensor. However, if a noise pulse from the power
system first has to propagate through many meters of power cable,
Fig 2. Use of two capacitors per phase to separate a PD and a power-system noise based on the direction of pulse travel. Two sensors are only
needed if there is approximately less than 30 m of power cable between the switchgear and the motor.
then the noise pulse will be significantly reduced in
magnitude and will have a longer rise time. By digitally
measuring the rise time, the PD can be separated from a
noise on a pulse-by-pulse basis using rise time or pulse
width [9]. Although intended to separate the PD from the
noise that must travel along a power cable, pulse-shape
analysis is also effective in separating sparking sources
on the machine rotor (for example, sparking from shaft
ground brushes or slip-ring sparking in synchronous
machines), since such a noise tends to have a slower
rise time when coupled to the stator winding.
D. Pulse Time of Arrival
Where the connection to the power system is via air-
insulated bus or very short power cables and thus the
pulse shape is not sufficiently different between a noise
and a PD, an additional noise-separation method based
on using two sensors per phase has been implemented
(Fig. 2). If the sensors are at least two meters apart, a
pulse from the power system will arrive at the “S” sensor
before they are detected by the “M” sensor. Similarly,
if the pulse is due to stater-winding PD, the pulse will
first arrive at the “M” sensor before it arrives at the “S”
sensor. With fast responding digital logic, the pulses can
be classified as a noise or a PD, based on which sensor
detects the signal first.
III. PD DATA
The noise-separation methods mentioned above, with
the practical implementation using 80-pF capacitors
and appropriate digital instrumentation, has been
permanently installed on more than 6000 motors and
generators around the world. Some of the installations
were made over 20 years ago. As a result, a very
large body of data has been collected where the PD is
essentially noise free. Once the PD is separated from
the noise, electronic instruments record the number, the
magnitude, and the phase position with respect to the
60-Hz ac cycle. Fig. 3 shows a typical plot of the PD
from one phase of a motor stator winding. Consistent
with international standards for PD testing of inductive
apparatus (IEEE 1434 and IEC 60270), the pulse
magnitude is measured in the absolute units of millivolts
(mV). From each test, two summary indicators are
extracted, representing all the PD pulse data collected.
The peak positive and negative PD pulse magnitudes
(+Qm and -Qm) represent the highest PD pulses
measured in mV with a minimum PD repetition rate of
ten pulses per second. Qm is a reasonable predictor of
insulation condition at the most deteriorated location
in the winding. A high Qm measured in a winding
compared to a lower Qm in another winding, usually
implies that the former winding is more deteriorated.
A. Database to the end of 2003
Since 1992, test results from portable test instruments
were combined into a single database. This totaled to
60342 tests until the end of 2003 [10]. The database
contains many repeat tests, sometimes performed over
many years. Also, many of the tests were done at different
operating conditions. Machine operating conditions can
affect the PD activity and thus add additional variability
to the analysis [1]. Therefore, the database was carefully
reduced such that the following applied.
1) Only online PD readings obtained when the
machine was operating at or near full load at normal
operating temperature are included.
2) There is only one test result collected per sensor,
thus, only the latest reading is extracted.
3) Tests were discarded where there was reason to
believe the measurement was mislabeled.
The result of this culling is that to the end of
2003, there were 4828, 3953, and 2211 statistically
Fig. 3. Typical PD data from one phase are plotted with respect to the 60-Hz ac cycle. The vertical scale is the positive and negative PD magnitude in millivolts. The color
represents how many discharges are occurring per second at this magnitude and phase position. The higher the PD, the larger is the defect within the insulation. The peak
PD magnitude (Qm) for this phase is —400 mV and +200 mV.
independent test results for hydrogenerators, turbo generators, and
motors, respectively, in the database.
B. Statistical Distribution of PD Data
The database was analyzed to determine the effect on Qm of
several different factors, including the following:
1) operating voltage of the stator winding;
2) winding age:
3) winding manufacturer.
The range in Qm from all the tests for the particular operating
voltage was established for each set of the above factors. A
cumulative version of the statistical distribution is shown in Table
I. For example, for a 13.8-kV stator: 25% of tests had a Qm below
44 mV; 50% (the median) of the tests had a Qm below 123 mV;
75% -were below 246 mV; and 90% of tests yielded a Qm below
508 mV. Thus, if a Qm of 500 mV is obtained on a 13.8-kV motor,
then it is likely that this stator will be deteriorated, since it has PD
levels higher than 90% of similar machines. In fact, in over 200
machines where a stator was visually examined after registering a
PD level greater than 90% of similar machines, significant stator-
winding-insulation deterioration was always observed [11].
The effect of a particular factor on Qm was determined by
comparing 90 percentile levels between the two data sets composed
of, for example, 13.8-kV machines. It was concluded that this
factor is important in interpreting results if there was a significant
difference in the average and 90% distribution levels of Qm for
the two sets. From Table I, it is interesting to note that as the
operating voltage of a motor or generator increases, the 90% level
also increases. Clearly, PD results from a 13.8-kV stator should not
be confused with those from a 6.9-kV stator. Statistical analysis
(assuming the normal distribution) indicates that there is < 0.01
% chance that the voltage rating is not a key factor influencing the
Qm levels.
With this table, it is now possible for motor and generator owners
to determine if the stator-winding insulation has a problem with
only an initial test. In addition, with some limitations, motor and
generator manufacturers can use this information as an indicator of
the relative quality of a new winding. If the PDs were higher than
that found on 90% of similar machines, then off-line tests and/
or a visual inspection would be prudent. Continuous PD monitors
would have their alarm levels set to the 90% level.
C. Effect of Winding Age and Manufacturer
An analysis of the statistical distribution of PDs for several
manufacturers was also performed. Fig. 4 shows the results
for 13-15-kV stators from 11 different original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) based around the world. Note that the data
covers all ages of machines and all insulation systems made by
these manufacturers over the years. Clearly, there are differences
between the manufacturers. For example, OEMs D, E, H, and J
have relatively low PDs on average, whereas manufacturer B has
a relatively high PD for its fleet of machines. The cause of the
differences between manufacturers is unknown, but it may be due
to different manufacturing processes, electric-stress design levels,
and assembly methods.
One surprising result from the statistical analysis of the database
Fig. 5. PD activity for nine motor and generator manufacturers as a function of the year the stator winding was built or rewound. The PD tests were done in 2003. For
some manufacturers, the PD activity for machines made in the past ten years is higher than machines they made more than ten years ago. 75th percentile of PD results by
manufacturer and year of installation (13-15-kV air-cooled machines with 80-pF sensors).

Pig. 4. Plot of PD magnitude versus cumulative probability of occurrence for 11 major motor and generator manufacturers. Manufacturer B has higher PD than most
other manufacturers of 13.8-kV motor and generator stator.

was the distribution of Qm as a function of winding, age. Fig. 5
illustrates the PD results in the database from machines that were
one-year old to greater than 30 years old. There is no consistent
trend—which is surprising since one would normally assume that
older windings would be more deteriorated and thus have higher PD
levels. Fig. 5 implies that both older windings and new windings
can have about the same high PD activity. In fact, four brands of
air-cooled windings manufactured in the past 10 years seem to have
higher PD activity than older machines. This may reflect the fact that
modem windings tend to operate at higher thermal and electrical
stresses than older machines [12], [13]. Other explanations for the
inconsistent pattern of PD versus winding age may include the
observation that manufacturers of machines have a learning curve
to climb as they adopt new designs and manufacturing techniques
or that machine operators are continuously oscillating between
proactive and breakdown maintenance strategies, depending on
current management policies.
IV. CONCLUSION
1) With thousands of machines monitored for as long as 15
years with the same method, online PD testing has become a
recognized proven too] to help maintenance engineers identify
which stator windings need off-line testing, inspections, and/
or repairs.
2) Objective separation of a PD and a noise is crucial if one is
to automate the analysis of the huge volumes of data that can
come from online PD tests. Four complimentary methods are
described and were used for the data reported in this paper.
3) With over 60 000 test results acquired with the same test
methods, what constitutes a winding with low, moderate,
or high PD has been defined. Table I enables test users to
objectively identify, with some certainty and without the need
of an expert, which stators are likely to suffer from groundwall
insulation deterioration.
4) The practical importance of Table I is that if one applies
PD sensors to a machine and one obtains a Qm that exceeds
the 90 percentile of the relevant Qm distribution in the first
measurement, then one should be concerned enough at the
high PD level to take action such as more frequent testing
and/or off-line tests and inspections at the next convenient
machine shutdown.
5) Some machines made in the past decade exhibit higher
PD activity than machines that are considerably older. Newer
 machines do not necessarily have more reliable insulation, Greg C. Stone (M’76-SM’88-F’93) received
implying that time-based maintenance practices may not be his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering
optimal for large machines. from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo,
ON, Canada.
REFERENCES He has over 30 years experience in
the application and testing of large motor
[1] G. C. Stone, E. A. Boulter, I. Culbert, and H. Dhirani, Electrical and generator windings. He is the author or
Insulation for Rotating Machines. New York: IEEE Press, 2004. coauthor of almost 100 technical papers on
[2] J. Johnson and M. Warren, “Detection of slot discharges in HV motor and generator windings and testing.
stator windings during operation,” Trans. AIEE, vol. 70, pt. II, pp. Prior to joining Iris Power Engineering Inc.,
1993-1999, 1951. Toronto, ON, Canada, in 1990, he worked for the Canadian
[3] J. E. Timperly and E. K. Chambers, “Locating defects in large power utility Ontario Hydro.
rotating machines and associated systems through EMI diagnosis,” Dr. Stone has been involved in creating IEEE and International
presented at the International Council on Large Electric Systems Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards.
(CIGRE), Paris, France, Sep. 1992, Paper 11-311.
[4] I. Blokhintsev, M. Golovkov, A. Golubev, and C. Kane, “Field
experiences with the measurement of PD on rotating equipment,” Vicki Warren (S’93-M’95) received
IEEE Trans. Energy Corners., vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 930-938, Dec. the B.S. degree in electrical engineering
1999. from Tennessee Technological University,
[5] G. C. Stone, “Discussion of ‘Field experiences with the Cookeville.
measurement of PD on rotating equipment’,” IEEE Trans. Energy She was with the U.S. Army Corps of
Convers., vol. 16, no. 4, pp.380-381.Dec.2001. Engineers for 13 years prior to joining
[6] J. K. Nelson, “Assessment of partial discharge and Iris Power Engineering Inc., Toronto, ON,
electromagnetic interference on-line testing of turbine-driven Canada, where she is currently the Senior Field
generator stator winding insulation systems,” EPRI, Palo Alto, Services Engineer. While with the Corps, she
CA, EPRI Rep. 1007742, Mar. 2003. was responsible for the testing and maintenance of hydrogenerator
[7] Cigre Technical Brochure 258, Application of On-Line Partial windings, protection, and control devices; development of SCADA
Discharge Tests to Rotating Machines, 2004. software; and the installation of local area networks.
[8] G. C. Stone. “Importance of bandwidth in PD measurements
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[12] G. Griffith et al., “Problems with modem air-cooled generator
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